Shipping of data through ETL stages

ABSTRACT

Performing an extract, transform, and load (ETL) process. Column data is received by a stage of the ETL process. The size of the received column data is ascertained by the stage. In response to determining that the size of the column data exceeds a predefined threshold, the stage saves the column data and creates a data locator associated with the column data. The created data locator advances through successive downstream stages of the ETL process as a replacement for the column data.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the field of datawarehousing, and more particularly to shipping of data during anextract, transform, and load (ETL) operation, specifically selectiveshipping of data directly to a stage that requires the data, bybypassing intermediary stages.

Data warehouses typically populate data through a process known as anextract, transform, and load (ETL). An ETL job is a sequence ofprocesses called stages. Each of the stages processes records in adatabase that may contain multiple columns of data. Data records at astage are typically received from the previous stage, called theupstream stage. After processing the column data, each stage passes theprocessed column data to the next stage, called the downstream stage.ETL operations thus require high-speed data movement through severalstages for completion of the process. There can be several processesunder ETL operations, such as merging data from various sources,cleaning data, copying data, transformation of data, quality validationof data, optimization of data, management of master data, management ofmetadata, etc. Each of these processes may further includesub-processes, for example, summary, aggregation, filtering, andsplitting from one resource to multiple destinations, or vice versa.

During an ETL operation, or process, data undergoes varioustransformations. Broadly, the extract phase is a process for receivingdata from various sources. The extracted source data is typically storedas one or more relational database tables. The transform phase in theETL process is typically made up of several stages and includesconverting data formats and merging extracted source data to create datain a format suitable for the target data repository. The load phase ofthe ETL process includes depositing the transformed data into the targetdata data repository. When the data repository is a relational database,the load process is often accomplished with structure query language(SQL) commands or other SQL tools. Thus, the ETL operation requiresmanipulation of column data via a sequence of stages/processes/steps. Asdata has to be transmitted, or shipped, through each of the intermediatestages, and several processes are involved in the completion of theoperation, ETL processes may be very time consuming.

As a result of the requirement to transmit data through each of severalsuccessive ETL stages and, until data processing at each of thesuccessive stages is complete, analysis of the data to support decisionscannot take place. Therefore, a system which may significantly reducethe time required for ETL operations to complete would be advantageous.

There is need for a solution that can resolve the problem of delaycaused by transmitting data through each of the successive ETL stages,until the data is required at the stage/process receiving the data. Itwould be desirable to resolve the problem of delay by providing asolution whereby data is transmitted directly to the stage that actuallyneeds to utilize the data.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a computer-implementedmethod, computer program product, and system for performing an extract,transform, and load (ETL) process. Column data is received by a stage ofthe ETL process. The size of the received column data is ascertained bythe stage. In response to determining that the size of the column dataexceeds a predefined threshold, the stage saves the column data andcreates a data locator associated with the column data. The created datalocator advances through successive downstream stages of the ETL processas a replacement for the column data.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the followingdescription and accompanying drawings set forth certain illustrativeaspects and implementations. These are indicative of but a few of thevarious ways in which one or more aspects may be employed. Otheraspects, advantages, and novel features of the disclosure will becomeapparent from the following detailed description when considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Through the more detailed description of some embodiments of the presentdisclosure in the accompanying drawings, the above and other objects,features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become moreapparent, wherein the same reference generally refers to the samecomponents in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The variousfeatures of the drawings are illustrations for clarity and are not toscale.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary schematic structural diagram of anenvironment for an extract, transform, and load (ETL) operation, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary schematic flowchart depicting varioussteps of a method for creation of a data locator during the execution ofan ETL operation, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary structural diagram of a data operator,depicting creation and transmission of a data locator during an ETLoperation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example process involving the lifecycle of a datalocator during an ETL operation, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computersystem/server, which is applicable to implement embodiments of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein, large object byte (LOB) refers to a data type in a datawarehouse typically used to store large amounts of data, data whose sizeis greater than a specified, configurable parameter. This parameter mayvary depending upon the infrastructure of the data warehouse. LOB columndata is often used for data migration and data storage. LOBs may includelarge blocks of character data or unstructured data such as video clips.For example, LOBs can be system files operating outside database tablespaces, or stored in source database table spaces.

During an extract, transform, and load (ETL) operation where the size ofthe object data is small, transmitting data across successive stages maynot pose a serious problem. However, when the object data is identifiedas being large object byte (LOB) data, and LOB data is required to betransmitted through various stages of the ETL operation, excessive timemay be expended in transferring data for completion of the stages,making the overall process slow. In such cases, completion of the ETLoperation may take more than the usual amount of time. To avoid delaysdue to transmission of LOB data in such situations, if the size of theobject data is determined beforehand, it may be possible to reduce thetime required for the ETL operation to complete. A mechanism isdescribed that can enable direct transmission of LOB data to the stagethat requires the data.

The present invention describes a cost-saving method for shipping columndata on demand. In various embodiments, a system is configured that canreduce the time required for data transmission by bypassing LOB datamovement through several stages of an ETL operation. There is provided amechanism that can enable LOB type column data to be transmitteddirectly to a stage where actual processing of the LOB data is required,from a source where latest data is available. In one embodiment, passageof the LOB column data through stages where the transmitted column datais not required by the succeeding stage is skipped.

The present invention provides a solution that may be more beneficialthan just transmitting compressed data, given that compressed datatransmission may need additional processing time to complete anevaluation process required to move the data through successive stages,irrespective of the data requirement of the stages.

The described mechanism provides for determining the size of columndata, and when the size of the column data being transmitted is verylarge, a data locator is created. The mechanism provides for replacingthe column data with data locator, which is then transmitted throughsuccessive stages until the column data is required by a subsequentstage. Further, the column data is saved by the stage that creates datalocator, instead of either sending the column data back to the source ormoving the column data forward. The solution further enables a stagethat requires the column data to get the column data directly from thestage which has a latest version of it.

During an ETL operation, the extraction process requires thetransmission of data from one or many different sources, either byconnecting directly to the source system or by accessing data stagedoutside the source system.

During the extraction process, identified data is physically transportedfrom various sources for further processing by moving data from onestage of the ETL operation to another stage. Based on the type of outputdesired, data processing may require transmission of data throughseveral stages, each stage performing a distinct process/manipulation.

After the data is transformed in the transform phase, transformed datais new data, which may be physically inserted as clean data into thetarget database during the load phase. This step may further requirebuilding indexes, validating constraints, and/or making backups to makethis new data available to end users. Once this data has been loadedinto the database, materialized views may be updated to reflect thelatest data.

In order to perform the ETL operation, some preferable embodiments willbe described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which the preferable embodiments of the present disclosure have beenillustrated. However, the present disclosure can be implemented invarious manners, and thus should not be construed to be limited to theembodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, those embodiments areprovided for the thorough and complete understanding of the presentdisclosure, and completely conveying the scope of the present disclosureto those skilled in the art.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detailwith reference to FIGS. 1-5. The present invention describes a systemthat performs an ETL operation. The system provides a solution thatenables selective physical transmission of column data on demand to astage that requires the column data. The system enables creating a datalocator, which is a data structure having a specific metadata design, tohouse information associated with the column data it will replace. Thesystem enables creation of the data locator by the stage which has reador modified the column data. The system enables the replaced column datato be saved by the stage that created the data locator. The systemenables the created data locator to be transmitted through severalsuccessive stages until the data locator reaches a stage that requiresthe saved data associated with the created data locator. The stage mayprocess the metadata stored in the data locator and utilize thisinformation to request from the stage storing the latest version of thecolumn data to transmit the saved column data to the requesting stage,by bypassing intermediate stages.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an environment fordata processing during an ETL operation, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. Environment 100 includes a server110, a client 102, source databases 104, 116 and a target database 114,all interconnected via a network 108.

FIG. 1 illustrates a client 102. Client 102 enables a user to send arequest to server 110. The request may be input from client 102 toserver 110 to load data stored on one or more of the source databases104, 116 and save it on a target database 114. In one embodiment, client102 includes a user interface (UI) 106 which operates to receive userinput from the user via the provided UI 106, thereby enabling the userto interact with client 102. In one embodiment, the UI 106 provides aninterface that enables the user of client 102 to interact with server110 via the network 108.

In one embodiment, client 102 may include a client application (notshown) to communicate with server 110. In some embodiments, the clientapplication intermediates through server 110 to communicate with the oneor more source databases 104, 116. In various embodiments, UI 106 may bea part of a client application. The client application may request userinput through UI 106, to request and receive desired data from server110, and then present the received data using the display capabilitiesof client 102 and/or client application (for example, using graphics orspreadsheets). An output may be communicated in the form of HTML, CSS,and/or JavaScript, or a variety of user interface technologies. In oneexample, the output may be stored as an XML file or .txt (text) file ora pivot table. In another example, the output may be a cube model, onwhich data analysis can be performed.

In various embodiments, client 102 can be a laptop computer, a tabletcomputer, a netbook computer, a personal computer (PC), a desktopcomputer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or anyprogrammable electronic device capable of communicating with server 110via network 108, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.Client 102 may include internal and external hardware components, asdepicted and described in further detail with respect to FIG. 5.

The request from client 102 is received and processed by server 110. Invarious embodiments, server 110 is a device that can be a standalonedevice, a server, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a netbookcomputer, a personal computer (PC), or a desktop computer. In anotherembodiment, server 110 represents a computing system utilizing clusteredcomputers and components to act as a single pool of seamless resources.In general, server 110 can be any computing device or combination ofcomputing devices with access to client 102 and source databases 104,116, and with access to and/or capable of being communicatively linkedto them over the network 108 (e.g., the internet), allowing processingof data located at several locations. Server 110 may include internaland external hardware components, as depicted and described in furtherdetail with respect to FIG. 5.

In an embodiment, server 110, in order to process the request,identifies the data required for processing the request. Based uponprocessing, server 110 communicates with one or more of the sourcedatabases 104, 116. In FIG. 1, while two source databases 104, 116, fromwhich data can be collected or retrieved, are indicated, there can bemore such source databases (not shown) from which data can be extracted.In one embodiment, source databases 104, 116 may store data as columndata. For example, there may be database files containing table data,indexes, etc., which are to be transported. In another example, sourcedatabases 104, 116 may include flat files, XML, text or EDI filesrequired for data loading. Furthermore, metadata can be also transportedin addition to transporting data.

In one embodiment, the user may through UI 106 make a selection of theinputs/information required from source databases 104, 116,respectively. Server 110 can enable a display on the UI 106 of how manyrows are missing or contain invalid values, what is the distribution ofthe values in the specific column, etc. Based on this knowledge, theuser can specify rules to clean or update the data. In another example,the data from source databases 104, 116 can be directly used by server110 to perform the steps involved in the ETL operation.

Once the data is processed by server 110, the clean data may be storedin a target database 114. The target database 114 is a data repositoryfrom which the stored data is read for doing data analysis. In oneexample, the ETL process may require metadata management.

Information about all the data that is processed, from source to targetdatabase by transformations, is often put in a directory called ametadata repository (not shown), which may be part of the targetdatabase 114. The target database 114 may include the metadatarepository to maintain information on data lineage, integrity, andhistory.

In some embodiments, the target database 114 can be read by server 110and client 102. In some embodiments, the target database 114 can be readby programs and entities inside and/or outside of the environment 100 inorder to populate the repository with new data.

In some embodiments, the target database 114 may be stored on diskstorage or in one or more accessible memory locations. When speed is akey performance metric, the target database 114 may be stored in memory,while other portions of the database may be stored on disk storage. Insome embodiments, the target database 114 may have storage acrossmultiple locations in a single server or distributed across severalservers. In one example, the target database 114 may be part of server110 or may be located in a cloud. The target database 114 may storephysical data in one or more different formats. In one example, thetarget database 114 can function as either source or/and target databaseat the same time.

Network 108 can be, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network(WAN) such as the internet, or a combination of the two, and may includewired, wireless, fiber optic or any other connection known in the art.In general, the network 108 can be any combination of connections andprotocols that will support communications between server 110, client102, source databases 104, 116, and the target database 114, inaccordance with a desired embodiment of the present invention.

As indicated in FIG. 1, server 110 includes data operator 112. Dataoperator 112 can be a business intelligence tool that performs the ETLoperation. In another embodiment, data operator 112 can be an enginethat performs various extraction, transformation, or loading functionsduring the ETL operation, independent of other server processes. In oneembodiment, data operator 112 may be an application layer used tooperate and manage the ETL operation. In one example, as a dedicatedapplication running in server 110, data operator 112 may be able tonatively read the data from source databases 104, 116 and alsocommunicate with client 102. In another embodiment, data operator 112may be a component serving on server 110. In yet another embodiment,data operator 112 may be an independent tool located outside of server110 and communicatively coupled with server 110 to perform the ETLoperation based on the instructions received from server 110. In oneexample embodiment, data operator 112 may be another servercommunicating with server 110. In some embodiments, data operator 112 isan application that may run on client 102. In one embodiment, dataoperator 112 may be configured to communicate with the user through UI106.

During the ETL operation, data operator 112 may be configured to enableextraction of data from source databases 104, 116 and then load thetransformed data into the target database 114. Data operator 112 mayperform the ETL operation in a staging area (not shown) where the datacan be transformed, corrected, and prepared for doing data analysis.Data operator 112 may perform each of the ETL processes at one or moreof the stages as depicted and explained in further detail with referenceto FIGS. 2 and 3. Terms such as stage, stages or staging area may beused interchangeably.

Once a communication in the form of a database query is input from theclient device 102 or server 110 and is received by data operator 112,data operator 112 may parse the query and translate it into a job whichis executed either by data operator 112 or on server 110. Data operator112 may be configured to capture the data from source databases 104, 116and then process it, before loading it into target database 114, basedon transformations conducted in response to the query.

In one embodiment, metadata of the data processed may be stored, as partof information associated with the query, on the target database 114. Inone example, metadata may include a key to be associated with the query.Data operator 112 generates the key that may function as a common keycorresponding to the data and the input query. The key may be generatedduring the execution of the query command. The key may be further mappedto corresponding data in the target database 114 to track and fetchdata.

In the present invention, transmission of column data is described as anexample, and not a limitation. Data operator 112 may be configured tomove the column data through various stages. Data operator 112 may beconfigured to manipulate the column data being transmitted from onestage to another, whenever desirable. In some embodiments where thequery requires transmission of LOB column data, data operator 112 may beconfigured to defer the actual movement of bits of the column data intovarious stages. In some embodiments, data operator 112 may be configuredto enable the stage processing an operation to manipulate the LOB columndata at the stage itself. In another example, data operator 112 may beconfigured to specify exactly to the stage which manipulations it is toperform on the received column data.

The stage may perform functions such as reading the data and using thecolumn data without modifying it, or reading and modifying the columndata, or not using the data at all and passing it along to thedownstream stage.

Data operator 112 may be configured to execute various process steps, asdepicted in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart 200 depicting various operational steps of an ETLoperation, on a computing device in the environment 100 of FIG. 1, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In oneembodiment, the method provides for selective transmission of datadirectly to the stage that requires the data for data reading, or datawriting, or data manipulation by bypassing transmission of data througheach intermediate stage that may not need to receive the column data forany such action.

The method comprises the following steps: At step 202 a stage receivescolumn data. At step 204, the size of the column data received by thestage is ascertained, and at step 206, in response to a determinationthat the size of the received column data exceeds a predefinedthreshold, a data locator is created by the stage, and the created datalocator advances through to downstream stages upon replacing the columndata.

At step 202 column data is received by a stage. The stage performs atleast one of the processes required during the execution of the ETLoperation. Each stage implements a particular operational logic toperform an action. There can be several staging areas, or processes,performing one or more operational logics, depending on the input query.During the ETL operation, data undergoes manipulations, ortransformations, in various staging areas, before outputted data isready for analysis based on the input query. Each of the stages may holdintermediate results when data is pipelined through several processes.In some embodiments, the staging area can be located either in dataoperator 112 or on server 110.

The storage within the stages during the ETL process is designed with agoal of minimizing contention with source databases. For example,copying required data from source databases to the staging area in oneshot is often more efficient than retrieving individual records (orsmall sets of records) on a one-off basis. The logic behind storing theintermediary transformed data in the staging area is that data operator112 can recover data easily from the stage that performed themanipulations, instead of going again to the server to retrieve thelatest version of the data undergoing transformations. Storing themanipulated data consolidated from multiple source databases in thestaging area temporarily for further processing of data provides moreefficiency. The decision to store data in a physical staging area versusprocessing it in memory is ultimately the choice of data operator 112.

A staging area may include metadata, for example keys of the data heldon the source or the target, and can be used to detect whether incomingdata includes new or updated data rows/columns. In one example, thestage may itself tag actual received data (i.e., column data) withadditional metadata indicating the source of origin and timestampsindicating when the data was placed in the staging area. In someexamples, the staging area may include a repository for historical data,if not truncated.

In some embodiments, various processes at stages of the ETL operationare performed by data operator 112. Data operator 112 may create thestaging area configured to provide space to hold temporary tables. Dataoperator 112 may be configured to delete the data stored as temporarydata in the staging area. The staging activity is explained in furtherdetail in reference to FIG. 3.

At Step 204, the size of the column data received at a stage isdetermined. In one example, columns of data may be transmittedsuccessively. At other times, there may be collective transmission ofcolumn data. The size of the column data to be transmitted from onestage to another stage can vary depending upon the operationrequirements. The size of the column data received at the stage isascertained in order to determine whether the column data may be movedto the next stage. The size of the column data may vary depending uponthe infrastructure capabilities of the system being used during the ETLoperation. The size of the column data can be computed using standardtechniques. In one example, the size of the column data may beestablished based on the inputs in the query during the ETL operation.In one embodiment, the size of the received column data is ascertainedby data operator 112. In another example, the stage receiving the columndata is capable of determining the size of the received column data.

The determination of the column data size is required in order to knowwhether the operation may cause performance issues due to thetransmission of large data sets. In one embodiment, the size of thecolumn data to be moved from one stage to another is compared to apredefined threshold. The threshold determination can vary dependingupon the infrastructure of the ETL tools executing the ETL operation.The threshold may be predefined either manually or automatically.

In one embodiment, when the size of the column data does not exceed thethreshold, the stage provides for column data transmission acrossseveral stages for undergoing transformations.

When the size of the column data being transmitted exceeds thethreshold, it is considered an oversized LOB transmission. There may beperformance issues during the ETL operation when oversized LOB data isrequired to be transmitted across several stages.

The stage from which the column data is transmitted to the next stage isreferred to as the upstream stage for the next stage. Likewise, thestage receiving the column data from the upstream stage is called thedownstream stage.

At step 206, in response to a determination that the size of thereceived column data exceeds a threshold, a data locator is created bythe stage, and the created data locator advances through to downstreamstages upon replacing the column data.

In some embodiments, when it is determined that the size of the columndata exceeds a predetermined threshold, the column data to betransmitted is replaced with a data locator. In some embodiments, thestage that first reads the column data determines whether the receivedcolumn data is oversized. In response to this determination, the stageis responsible for creating a data locator in parallel for the receivedcolumn data. In some embodiments, the stage that first reads oversizedcolumn data from an external source such as a database or files is alsocapable of creating a data locator.

A data locator is a data structure thread created to replace oversizedLOB column data. The data locator may enable consistent reading of theassociated column data that it replaces. The stage that determines thatthe column data is oversized returns a data locator thread to replacethe associated column data. The data locator is configured to containinformation about how to get the associated column data. The stage whichcreated the data locator, since it is not sending the column datadownstream, will pass down details about the replaced column data viathe created data locator to subsequent stages.

In some embodiments, a process that runs the stage is configured tocreate a data locator. The process that runs the stage can spawn severalthreads at one point in time, each thread being capable of sharing thesame memory as that of the stage. Further, each thread may be configuredto establish a link with one another through the same common key. Anyupdating in the metadata of one thread can be automatically revised forthe other threads sharing the same memory. The stage creating the datalocator need not know which particular next process/stage/step willutilize the information contained in the data locator.

In some embodiments, the column data is saved at the stage creating thedata locator. The column data is saved at the stage to reduce the reador write of the column data by the server. This may enable betterperformance and save disk space.

In some embodiments, data operator 112 may enable transmission of thecreated data locator through successive stages by pausing the moving ofthe column data. Data operator 112 may enable the continuous advancingof the data locator through subsequent downstream stages until thecolumn data is required by a downstream stage to manipulate the contentsassociated with the column data. Manipulation implies writing, oroverwriting, or deleting, the existing contents of the saved columndata.

In other words, the same data locator may span several successive stagesof processing until the corresponding column data is required at asubsequent stage. In some implementations, the replaced column data issupplied on demand to the stage which requires the associated columndata. On demand implies that the data is either required to be read ormodified by the stage. The present invention provides for directlytransferring column data to a stage that requires it.

A data locator may include a variable. The variable in a data locatorrepresents a constant value. The variable in the data locator can beutilized by data operator 112 and/or the stage to identify theassociated data locator. The data locator's variable may be furtherrequired to point to the actual column data being replaced. In oneembodiment, the data locator's variable is associated with the datacolumn contents as an identification. Data operator 112 and/or the stagemay utilize the variable of the data locator to retrieve the associatedcolumn data. The size of a typical data locator can be less than akilobyte, in contrast to compressed data, which may exceed a megabyte insize.

In some embodiments, the data locator additionally includes metadata. Inone example, the variable may include a hash key. The hash key in a datalocator may point to the common key generated during the database query.The hash key may include an index, which may be utilized to build theassociation with the column data for which the data locator is created.The data locator may include an address such as host name, port nameetc., where the corresponding column data is located. The data locatormay have information about how the corresponding column data can be madeavailable to the stage which needs the data. The data locator mayfurther include information on the stage saving the associated columndata. The information associated with the data locator may beadditionally stored either in server 110 or data operator 112 or at thestage which created the data locator or in some other memory location.

The created data locator advances through one stage after the other,until the column data associated with the data locator is required by adownstream stage receiving the data locator. The downstream stage mayrequire the associated column data to perform the read and/or write(i.e., manipulation) on the column data.

The downstream stage may be configured to retrieve the column dataassociated with the data locator which it received. In some embodiments,when the downstream stage receiving the data locator determines that itneeds to receive the associated column data, the downstream stage isconfigured to read the metadata contained in the data locator. Thedownstream stage reads the metadata contents of the data locator threadit received to identify the upstream stage which created the datalocator. The downstream stage may further be enabled to communicate withthe upstream stage corresponding to the data locator. In someembodiments, the hash key may be utilized by the downstream stage toidentify the stage corresponding to the associated column data, and theassociated column data is fetched using the hash key informationcontained in the data locator.

In some embodiments, the downstream stage receiving the data locatormakes a request to the corresponding upstream stage which created thedata locator to transmit column data associated with the received thedata locator. In some embodiments, the downstream stage makes a requestto another thread, called a data provider, which is spawned in parallelby the stage that created the data locator. The downstream stage isenabled to read the metadata of the data locator so as to know themethod of contacting the data provider.

A data provider is a thread or agent which is spawned simultaneouslywhen a data locator is created by the upstream stage. A data providerassists in reading the metadata contained in the data locator. In someembodiments, the process which is configured to run the stage isadditionally capable of spawning a data provider thread as part of theprocess to run the stage. As a result, the data provider is alsoconfigured to access the same memory as that of the stage creating thedata locator or the data provider. The data provider thread is hosted bythe upstream stage which created the data locator.

In some embodiments, the data provider is enabled to identify the columndata associated with the data locator. The data provider is furtherenabled to communicate with the stage saving the column data (on whichit is running) to fetch the associated column data and transmit thecolumn data directly to the downstream stage making the request for thecolumn data by bypassing the transfer of column data through theintervening stages. In some embodiments, the data provider is enabled tomaintain the actual column data corresponding to each data locator atthe stage which spawned the data provider. The data provider isconfigured to send the column data to the downstream stage which madethe request for the column data.

The data provider may include a hash table, which may be maintained inmemory, and which includes information about the identity of the stagesaving the associated column data corresponding to the created the datalocator. A hash table in the data provider may include the common hashkey which maps the column data to the created data locator and the stagesaving the data. The hash key may be utilized by the data provider toretrieve the column data from the stage which is associated with thecreated the data locator. In some examples, the data locator may includeinformation such as host name or port to connect to the data provider.

In some embodiments, the provision of the requested data by thedownstream stage may be made available via TCP/IP, when both thedownstream and the upstream stages are on different platform and don'thave a common network. In one example, the data can be directly madeavailable from the data source when the column data is not read by anyintervening stages.

Once the downstream stage receives the column data, the downstream stageis configured to either read and/or write to (i.e., update) the receivedcolumn data. The downstream stage is enabled to manipulate the columndata. The downstream stage is configured to simultaneously create a newdata locator thread to replace the modified column data. The downstreamstage is further configured to create an additional data providerthread. The data provider thread created is enabled to keep running atthe stage which created it. The downstream stage is also configured tosave the modified (updated) column data in its memory.

In parallel, the upstream stage, after it has transmitted the columndata, will delete the data provider created corresponding to the datalocator. In some embodiments, the upstream stage is configured to flush,or delete, the existing column data. The upstream stage is furtherconfigured to update the information saved in its memory correspondingto the deleted column data.

In some embodiments, as a result of manipulations to the received columndata, the existing data locator is flushed out by the downstream stageand a new data locator is created for the manipulated column data. Insome embodiments, the created data locator, which has traversed, isdeleted when a process ends the use of the data locator. Metadata valuescorresponding to the newly created data locator are updated such thatthe newly created data locator can be utilized to provide access to thelatest version of the column data. All further writes to the column dataare done through the updated (i.e., new) data locator. The resulting newdata locator gets a new data locator variable. It is the new datalocator which is transmitted to subsequent stages when the column datasize is above the predetermined threshold.

In some embodiments, the saved column data may be moved to a diskstorage after a predetermined time by a thread called a data flusher,which is spawned in parallel with the data locator. The data flusher mayutilize information contained in the data provider to move the columndata associated with the data locator to the disk storage. The dataflusher is further enabled to communicate with the data provider and thedata locator to update the information associated with the disk storagesaving the column data. This is also done to enable better performanceduring the ETL operation.

In one embodiment, data information stored in a hash table is scanned bythe data flusher. A determination is made by the data flusher, as tomaintaining the data in the stage memory versus flushing it out toanother location, such as disk storage. This comparison may be doneusing a timer as a threshold. If the timer is less than a threshold, ortime limit, data continues to be maintained in memory and if the dataexceeds the time limit, data is flushed out by the data flusher toanother memory location, such as disk storage.

In some embodiments, the data locator may be stored temporarily in amemory. The storage of the data locator in temporary memory may reducetrips to the data source.

During the ETL process, there is a possibility that the ETL process mayfail during execution of any application. This may be caused by amissing extraction from one of the systems, or missing values inreference tables, or simply a connection or power outage. Therefore, itis necessary to design the ETL process keeping failure recovery in mind.In order to overcome this, it should be possible to restart some of thephases independently from the others. For example, if the transformationstep fails, it may not be necessary to restart the extract step. Thiscan be resolved by implementing staging. FIG. 3 indicates the datalocator replacing column data for transmission through subsequent stagesuntil the data is required by the subsequent stage.

FIG. 3 depicts the creation of a data locator to replace column data forfurther transmission through subsequent stages. FIG. 3 shows severalcolumn data being transmitted through successive stages. FIG. 3 furtherillustrates the downstream stage receiving the column data directly froman upstream stream by bypassing the intervening stage.

FIG. 3 points to an example being executed by data operator 112 duringthe ETL operation. There are shown three stages STG 1 302, STG 2 304,and STG 3 306. Stages STG 1 302, STG 2 304, and STG 3 306 may beconfigured to perform a process of the ETL operation. Stages STG 1 302,STG 2 304, and STG 3 306 may include a temporary memory 322. Whilememory 322 is shown independent of the three respective stages, it maybe located within the stages (not shown).

Corresponding to each of stages STG 1 302, STG 2 304, and STG 3 306,there are shown three column data 308, 310, and 312, respectively, beingrequired for processing during the ETL operation. In this presentation,it can be seen that each of the column data 308, 310, and 312 may bemoving one after the other from one stage to the next stage. While STG 1302 exhibits three column data 308, 310, and 312, STG 2 304 indicatestwo column data 308 and 312, respectively.

As explained above, after the respective column data is determined to beof oversized LOB type, a corresponding data locator is created toreplace the associated column data. From STG 1 302 it is seen thatcolumn data 308 and 312 may have been perceived as not being oversizedLOB types, while column data 310 is found to be of oversized LOB type.Corresponding to the column data 310 at STG 1 302, it can be viewed thatthere are two threads 314 and 316 pointing from it. Thread 314, which isindicated as diamond shaped, is stipulated as launched for the dataprovider at stage STG 1 302 itself. Thread 316, which is indicated asround shaped, is stipulated for the creation of the data locatorcorresponding to the column data 310 at the stage STG 1 302 itself.

In one embodiment, when data locator thread 316 is created by STG 1 302,a data provider thread 314 is spawned at STG 1 302. Data provider thread314 maintains the actual data for each data locator created. Dataprovider thread 314 is meant to send the saved associated column data toa downstream stage when it receives the request for actual column datavalues by the downstream stage.

It may be further noticed that during the transmission process from STG1 302 to STG 2 304, column data 310 remains saved at STG 1 302 and othercolumn data 308 and 312 have moved to the next stage. Further, datalocator thread 316, created corresponding to the column data 310 at STG1 302, is shown as moving towards STG 2 304 (indicated by an arrow), byreplacing the column data 310. From STG 2 304, it is 2 column data 308and 312 along with data locator thread 316 which move towards STG 3 306.

At STG 3 306, indicated by “before”, it can be seen that two column data308 and 312 along with data locator thread 316, are received. Stage STG3 306 makes a determination as to whether it wants to read and/or modifythe data associated with data locator thread 316. Stage STG 3 306 readsthrough the metadata information as contained in data locator thread 316to determine if the column data content corresponding to data locatorthread 316 may be required by it for data processing.

Based upon determining that the content as contained corresponding todata locator thread 316 is required by STG 3 306, stage STG 3 306 makesa request to data provider thread 314 running at STG 1 302. It sends therequest to data provider thread 314, located at STG 1 302 (pointed to byan arrow). The making of request is shown by an arrow pointing from STG3 306 towards STG 1 302. Data provider thread 314 has remained hosted atthe stage that previously saved the column data.

Data provider thread 314 upon receiving the request, reads through themetadata of data locator thread 316, to identify the associated columndata 310. Data provider thread 314 running at STG 1 302 responds to STG3 306, indicated via an arrow pointed towards STG 3 306. Data providerthread 314 identifies the column data associated with the informationreceived for data locator thread 316. Data pointer 316 sends column data310 to STG 3 306, indicated under STG 3 306, shown as “after.” It isfurther noticed that data provider thread 314 sends column data 310directly to STG 3 306 by bypassing intervening stage STG 2 304. StageSTG 3 306, is shown as receiving column data 310.

Referring to the block labeled “after,” STG 3 306 having read the columndata 310, saves the column data and a corresponding new data locator 320is created, after the existing data locator thread 316 is flushed outfrom the stage. Under stage STG 3 306 (“after”), are now indicated threecolumn data 308, 310′ and 312, respectively. It is further seen that anew data locator 320 is created at STG 3 306, corresponding to themodified column data 310′.

While, memory 322 is not shown included in either of STG1 302, STG2 304or STG3 306, this may not be taken as limitation, as this is for thesake of convenience. Each of the stages STG 1 302, STG 2 304, and STG 3306, may have a memory 322 of its own. The stage with which memory 322is associated can read the data from that stage and can also modify thedata.

Similarly, another thread data flusher 318 is illustrated. The locationof data flusher 318 may be in the respective stage which created thedata locator. In some embodiments, data flusher 118 may be part ofmemory 122. The function of data flusher 318 is to ensure a timely moveof the saved column data from the stage to another location on the disk.Data flusher 118 may be further configured to communicate with the dataprovider and the data locator of the stage to update the new location ofthe saved column data.

The above embodiments and implementations may combine together andcross-reference, thereby resulting in more embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example process 400 depicting the lifecycle of adata locator during an ETL operation, according to one embodiment.Process 400 comprises:

Step 402: A stage receives column data. The stage may receive columndata from either a database source, or through an intermediate source,or from any upstream stage.

Step 404: The size of the received column data is determined. If thesize of the received column data is above a predefined threshold, moveto step 406, else move to step 418.

Step 406: The stage that determines that the size of the received columndata is above the threshold creates a data locator to replace thereceived column data. The stage simultaneously spawns a data provider.The stage further saves the column data in its memory.

Step 408: The stage that created the data locator advances the datalocator to the next stage. The data locator keeps advancing until theassociated column data corresponding to the received data locator isrequired by a downstream stage.

Step 410: The stage that subsequently received the data locatordetermines whether the associated column data is required by it foreither reading or writing. If the stage determines that the associatedcolumn data is required by it for either reading or writing, it moves tostep 412, and if the stage determines that the associated column data isnot required, the stage advances the data locator for further processingat step 422.

Step 412: The stage reads the metadata content of the received datalocator. It identifies the data provider and the stage saving the columndata. The stage then makes a request to the data provider to send theassociated column data to it for manipulating the column data directlyby bypassing the intermediate stages.

Step 414: A determination is made whether the column data values aremodified. If modified move to step 416, else move to step 422.

Step 416: After the determination that the current stage has modifiedthe column data, the stage creates a new data locator for onwardtransmission through subsequent stages. The stage also spawns a new dataprovider.

Step 418: When it is determined by the stage that the size of receivedcolumn data does not exceed the threshold, the stage advances the columndata to the next stage.

Step 420: Subsequent stages may either read or write to the receivedcolumn data and subsequently also continue advancing the modified datato subsequent stages.

Step 422: Once it is determined, by the stage receiving the datalocator, that the column data associated with the data locator is notrequired by the subsequent stage, the stage advances the data locator tofollowing stages, until required.

The various embodiments implementing the method have been described withrespect to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art mayunderstand that the method may be implemented in software, hardware orcombinations of software and hardware. Moreover, those skilled in artmay understand that by implementing various steps of the above method insoftware, hardware or combinations of software and hardware, there maybe provided an environment 10 in which example embodiments of theinventive subject matter may be practiced as shown.

Referring now to FIG. 5, in which a block diagram of an exemplarycomputer system/server 12 which is applicable to implement theembodiments of the present invention is shown. Computer system/server 12shown in FIG. 5 is only illustrative and is not intended to suggest anylimitation as to the scope of use or functionality of embodiments of theinvention described herein.

As shown in FIG. 5, computer system/server 12 is shown in the form of ageneral-purpose computing device. The components of computersystem/server 12 may include, but are not limited to, one or moreprocessors or processing units 16, a system memory 28, and a bus 18 thatcouples various system components including the system memory 28 and theprocessing units 16.

Bus 18 represents one or more of several types of bus structures,including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, anaccelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of avariety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation,such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus,Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, VideoElectronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and PeripheralComponent Interconnect (PCI) bus.

Computer system/server 12 typically includes a variety of computersystem readable media. Such media may be any available media that isaccessible by computer system/server 12, and it includes both volatileand non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

System memory 28 can include computer system readable media in the formof volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 30 and/or cachememory 32. Computer system/server 12 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 34 can be provided forreading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media(not shown in FIG. 5 and typically called a “hard drive”). Although notshown in FIG. 5, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to aremovable, non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and anoptical disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable,non-volatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other opticalmedia can be provided. In such instances, each drive can be connected tobus 18 by one or more data media interfaces. As will be further depictedand described below, memory 28 may include at least one program producthaving a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules that are configuredto carry out the functions of embodiments of the invention.

Program/utility 40, having a set (at least one) of program modules 42,may be stored in memory 28 by way of example, and not limitation, aswell as an operating system, one or more application programs, otherprogram modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one ormore application programs, other program modules, and program data orsome combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 42 generally carry out the functions and/ormethodologies of embodiments of the invention as described herein.

Computer system/server 12 may also communicate with one or more externaldevices 14 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display 24, etc.;one or more devices that enable a user to interact with computersystem/server 12; and/or any devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.)that enable computer system/server 12 to communicate with one or moreother computing devices. Such communication can occur via Input/output(I/O) interfaces 22. Still yet, computer system/server 12 cancommunicate with one or more networks such as a local area network(LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g.,the Internet) via network adapter 20. As depicted, network adapter 20communicates with the other components of computer system/server 12 viabus 18. It should be understood that although not shown, other hardwareand/or software components could be used in conjunction with computersystem/server 12. Examples, include, but are not limited to: microcode,device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays,RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product at any possible technical detail level of integration.The computer program product may include a non-transitory computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, oreither source code or object code written in any combination of one ormore programming languages, including an object oriented programminglanguage such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. The computer readable program instructions may executeentirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as astand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partlyon a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. Inthe latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user'scomputer through any type of network, including a local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to anexternal computer (for example, through the internet using an internetservice provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including,for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gatearrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute thecomputer readable program instructions by utilizing state information ofthe computer readable program instructions to personalize the electroniccircuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of theorder noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The programs described herein are identified based upon the applicationfor which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of theinvention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular programnomenclature herein is used merely for convenience, and thus theinvention should not be limited to use solely in any specificapplication identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.

The foregoing description of various embodiments of the presentinvention has been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit theinvention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations are possible. Such modification and variations that may beapparent to a person skilled in the art of the invention are intended tobe included within the scope of the invention as defined by theaccompanying claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for shipping databetween stages of an extract, transform, and load (ETL) process, themethod comprising: receiving, by a stage of the ETL process, columndata; ascertaining, by the stage, a size of the column data received;and in response to a determining, by the stage, that the size of thereceived column data exceeds a predefined threshold: saving, by thestage, the column data; and creating, by the stage, a data locatorassociated with the column data, which advances through successivedownstream stages of the ETL process as a replacement for the columndata, wherein the created data locator is advanced through each of thesuccessive downstream stages until the associated column data isrequired at a downstream stage of the successive downstream stages,wherein, in response to a determination by the downstream stage that thecolumn data associated with the received data locator is required, thedownstream stage requests the launched data provider to provide thesaved column data associated with the received data locator, wherein,upon receiving the request by the data provider launched by the stagethat saved the column data, utilizing the metadata of the data locatorin retrieving the associated column data, and wherein the downstreamstage, upon receiving the column data from the launched data provider,in response to a determination that the received column data ismodified, creates another data locator associated with the modifiedcolumn data, which advances through successive downstream stages as areplacement for the modified column data.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the created data locator is a data structure that includesmetadata, the metadata comprising a hash key, wherein the hash keycorresponds to the column data associated with the data locator.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the stage creating the data locator furtherlaunches a data provider, the data provider utilizing the hash key ofthe data locator to identify the associated column data saved by thestage.
 4. A computer program product for shipping data between stages ofan extract, transform, and load (ETL) operation, the computer programproduct comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage mediumhaving program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computerreadable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the programinstructions readable by a processor to cause the processor to perform amethod comprising: receiving, by a stage of the ETL process, columndata; ascertaining, by the stage, a size of the column data received;and in response to a determining, by the stage, that the size of thereceived column data exceeds a predefined threshold: saving, by thestage, the column data; and creating, by the stage, a data locatorassociated with the column data, which advances through successivedownstream stages of the ETL process as a replacement for the columndata, wherein the created data locator is advanced through each of thesuccessive downstream stages until the associated column data isrequired at a downstream stage of the successive downstream stages,wherein, in response to a determination by the downstream stage that thecolumn data associated with the received data locator is required, thedownstream stage requests the launched data provider to provide thesaved column data associated with the received data locator, wherein,upon receiving the request by the data provider launched by the stagethat saved the column data, utilizing the metadata of the data locatorin retrieving the associated column data, and wherein the downstreamstage, upon receiving the column data from the launched data provider,in response to a determination that the received column data ismodified, creates another data locator associated with the modifiedcolumn data, which advances through successive downstream stages as areplacement for the modified column data.
 5. The computer programproduct of claim 4, wherein the stage creating the data locator furtherlaunches a data provider, the data provider utilizing the hash key ofthe data locator to identify the associated column data saved by thestage.
 6. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the createddata locator is advanced through each of the successive downstreamstages until the associated column data is required at a downstreamstage of the successive downstream stages.
 7. A computer system forshipping data between stages of an extract, transform, and load (ETL)operation, the computer system comprising, a processor to perform amethod comprising: receiving, by a stage of the ETL process, columndata; ascertaining, by the stage, a size of the column data received;and in response to a determining, by the stage, that the size of thereceived column data exceeds a predefined threshold: saving, by thestage, the column data; and creating, by the stage, a data locatorassociated with the column data, which advances through successivedownstream stages of the ETL process as a replacement for the columndata, wherein the created data locator is advanced through each of thesuccessive downstream stages until the associated column data isrequired at a downstream stage of the successive downstream stages,wherein, in response to a determination by the downstream stage that thecolumn data associated with the received data locator is required, thedownstream stage requests the launched data provider to provide thesaved column data associated with the received data locator, wherein,upon receiving the request by the data provider launched by the stagethat saved the column data, utilizing the metadata of the data locatorin retrieving the associated column data, and wherein the downstreamstage, upon receiving the column data from the launched data provider,in response to a determination that the received column data ismodified, creates another data locator associated with the modifiedcolumn data, which advances through successive downstream stages as areplacement for the modified column data.
 8. The computer system ofclaim 7, wherein the created data locator is a data structure thatincludes metadata, the metadata comprising a hash key, wherein the hashkey corresponds to the column data associated with the data locator. 9.The computer system of claim 8, wherein the stage creating the datalocator further launches a data provider, the data provider utilizingthe hash key of the data locator to identify the associated column datasaved by the stage.